This is a world where nobody ever drinks anything besides wine and beer. Where the only dishes are metal and the only paper are the scrolls used to send messages via raven. There are no stores, no restaurants, no coffee meetings to discuss battle strategies. Caffeine, disposable dishware, to-go food and drink? Nonexistent.
Read moreWhy Hire a Writing Coach?
We think of writing as a solitary activity. Sure, there are writing groups and, once a book is finished, there are editors, but when you get down to brass tacks, the relationship is between the author and her word document. Sometimes it’s beautiful, and sometimes it’s a battle, but it’s always one-on-one. Well, here’s a secret: it doesn’t have to be that way.
Read moreIs Your Protagonist Wearing Too Much Plot Armor?
Whether you call it plot armor or deus ex machina or crazy random happenstance, the result is the same: a character is saved from a tough spot thanks to an inexplicable and all-too-convenient coincidence.
Read moreFilling Out Your Cast of Characters
Every member of your supporting cast brings a lifetime’s worth of experiences, values, quirks, and perspectives to the table, and the more you can honor that by fully developing every character, the richer your story will become.
Read moreTo Overcome Writer’s Block, Paint (or Draw or Sculpt or Sing) Instead
Maybe it’s about a new perspective or using a different part of your brain. Maybe it really is just about opening yourself up to play—after all, when we take our work too seriously, we can quickly give ourselves tunnel vision.
Read more10 Essential Elements of Gothic Literature
As we head into fall, there’s no better time to visit the Gothic genre.
Read moreThe Things We Carry: The Weight of Objects in Fiction
Are there any items in your fictional world that are so charged, so laden with meaning, that they’re impacting the environment and/or the characters’ behavior?
Read moreTo Make Conflict Sizzle, Shift Your Perspective
In fiction, our most riveting stories are built on conflicts where all parties are equally convicted of their own, opposing beliefs, and each party stands in the way of the others’ objectives.
Read moreNaNoWriMo 2018 Is Right Around the Corner!
50,000 words in a month is most definitely a daunting goal, whether you’re a NaNoWriMo newbie or a seasoned veteran. This year, I’m here to help!
Read moreWhat a 3-Hour Painting Class Taught Me About the Writing Process
In the days that followed the class, as I obsessed over my painting and told everyone who would listen how scared I’d been but how happy I ended up, I realized those three hours were, in many ways, a highly condensed reflection of the writing process.
Read more